SOUJOURN/DINNER PARTY - MUSEUM OBSERVATION*

I feel so fortunate to have such a great permanent feminist art exhibition so close to where I live, at the Brookyn Museum. When I first saw the Dinner Party installation I was excited to see what it looks like outside of photos published in books. It's existence is as much of an accomplishment as the celebration of accomplishments that it communicates. Judy Chicago put together a dinner party in the shape of a triangle, symbolizing the female sex, and each place setting is for a women who significantly influenced the history of the world. The place settings are created so intricately, each one of a kind plate is upon a uniquely stitched placemat and tablecloth. The stitching includes designs as well as the name of a woman. Each setting has the same uniquely designed flatware and wine glass. She is not only celebrating these women but she is celebrating art forms that have been traditionally created by women and traditionally undervalued. The place settings invite women from history as far back as the prehistoric Primordial Goddess, and span a long time line including Artemesia Gentileski and more contemporary women such as Sojourner Truth, who's place setting is shown above (far right) and Georgia O'Keefe.

Kiki Smith's temporary installation is adjacent to the Dinner Party. She asks viewers to walk through the Dinner Party after the first part of her show. Juxtaposing her installation with the Dinner Party insinuates an intention to illustrate what is behind the scenes of feminist art, adding to the content of her show. In this installation, Kiki Smith illustrates the development of a woman artist throughout the timeline of life. Her show includes drawings on Nepal paper that include pieces of collage that bring in other colors, textures and even glitter, but sparingly. Themes from past work reappear as main subjects, such as the crow and the figure.

When you first walk into the show you are introduced to these drawings and a figure is seated in the middle of the space. The seated figure seemed to be made of aluminum or some type of metal and had a disproportionately large head. All of the sculptures in this series had disproportionately large heads. As you walk through the first three rooms, the drawings on the wall are the most prominent visuals, enhanced by various sculptural pieces. The first room has a sculpture that is made up of silver pieces of wood, metal ornaments and a crow (below). It reminds me of a bird in a nest, although the wood does not create the traditional shape of a nest. As you walk through the rooms, sculptures include a [paper mache?] chair covered with floral paper garland and paper mache light bulbs hanging from the ceiling. The light bulbs have some glitter on them and mimicking the design of the silver pieces of wood, toothpicks hang from each. There also other metal figures, such as the one in the photo below.

Towards the end of the first part of the show, there are wooden coffins with glass long stem flowers inside. Finally her sculptures extend to the permanent exhibition of 18th century rooms. She places paper mache figures in these rooms and one on the stairs outside. She did this to connect the work to her original inspiration. She was inspired by a sewn image from the 18th century. The picture depicts a woman with a slave tending to a baby, a woman of middle age and a coffin on the other side of her; illustrating different stages of life. The sculptures in the 18th century rooms are intended to question women's roles of those times.

The entire show is intended to illustrate the development through life as a woman and as an artist. Kiki Smith is known for creating feminist installation art and the content aligns with her overarching theme. I enjoy Kiki Smith and envy her experience of growing up with a father who was a well-known sculptor. She had a very early start in developing her skills and craft. Her work is always somewhat ambiguous and rarely narrative, yet the female presence is often obvious. I really like feminist art, so a successful feminist artist is appealing to me. I think her form is the most successful part of her work.